Masks and Faces
by Just Another Lass
Summary: There's always something exciting about a face behind a mask. Simply because you couldn't tell who it is without taking it off. Elsanna, although non-incest.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't, in any form, own Frozen.**

"Milady?"

I am broken out of my thoughts as Gerda's voice pierced through the silence. A little reluctantly, I look away from the beautiful scenery of the night and turn my head slightly to the side to stare at her questioningly. I am met by an equally curious yet slightly exasperated glance.

"With all due respect, Ma'am, but what are you still doing here?" she questions.

Ah, that's right. Tonight, the castle feasts as our princess celebrates her coming of age. Two days earlier, I have received an invitation from the palace to commemorate such a joyous occasion. I am deeply honored but, alas, I shall not show.

Deciding to take the ignorant route, I say, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Gerda." Once again, I stare out the window and enjoy the beauty of the celebration from my bedroom. Away from everyone. Away from the princess.

A sigh permeates the room as Gerda says, "Forgive me."

Before I knew it, I am yanked away from my position. Too stunned to react, I obey her inaudible request to sit on my bed. I sigh in resignation once I notice Gerda shuffle through my closet, no doubt looking for a decent dress I could wear.

Puffing a breath of air out, I groan before plopping ungraciously on my bed. "What's the big deal if I don't go to the party? Besides, I know my parents are in attendance so why do I have to be there as well?"

My kind caretaker clucks her tongue. "Now, dear, don't be like that. It's the princess' birthday! And almost every single one of the townsfolk is in attendance! In fact, I think the two of us are the only ones holed up in your house."

"Ugh, your point?" I reiterate as I pop myself on my elbows. A piece of cloth meets my face. "Wha—? Hey!"

She chuckles. I stand up, reach for the offending object and scan it thoroughly. Upon registering that it is indeed a suit, I face Gerda curiously.

"A suit? You want me to dress as a man to the party?" I ask incredulously.

She shrugs. "I don't see why not. I always thought you would be more comfortable in one than in your dresses. Unless, of course, you would rather be in a dress."

Humming thoughtfully, I ponder on her question. Shall I dress as a lady or a lad for the night? A frown makes its way onto my lips as I make eye contact with her. "Wouldn't that be a little weird though? Dressing as a guy?"

She smiles gently then shrugs again. "It's a masquerade, dear. If you're worried someone will recognize you, I say that's highly unlikely if we do a few minor adjustments here and there."

"Adjustments?"

She nods. "For instance, your hair."

At the mention of my hair, my hand shoots up. "What?!" I squeak out.

She giggles and shakes her head. "Don't worry. I won't do anything drastic to it. We'll just change the hairstyle."

I eye her warily for a few more minutes before deeming her innocent. Silly, I know. But one never knows when it comes to Gerda. One moment she is pretty serious, and the next thing you know, she's being mischievous. A good feat for someone a little aged.

"Well, come now, dear. We can't afford you to be late any longer." She quickly ushers me to her. I walk over towards the dresser after putting on my outfit. As soon as I took a seat, she gets to work.

I hope I won't be regretting this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Hope you guys enjoy this. And, uh, I really don't know Spanish that much even though I took it for two semesters. Hehe... All mistakes are mine since, you know, I have no beta and, of course, I definitely do not own Frozen.**

**~;~**

The party is in full swing as we arrive. I can tell just by listening to the lively music coming from the castle. With Gerda in tow, I climb up the steps, all the while fiddling with the cuffs of my suit. A nervous habit ever since I was a kid and something I really need to work on.

I jump a bit in surprise when, suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Try to relax, dear." Gerda whispers before she gives me a reassuring squeeze.

Easier said than done. Nonetheless, I try my best to do as she says. Mentally counting in my head, I inhale slowly and deeply then release it in one go. I turn to face Gerda with an expression that clearly asks the question: "Am I relaxed enough now?"

She shrugs lightly before proceeding towards the ballroom halls without another word, the door shutting quietly at her wake. Grumbling to myself, I follow her but stop just before opening the doors to put on my mask.

Inhaling deeply once more, I steel myself and open up the door. I may be fashionably late, but that doesn't prevent me from acquiring any unwanted attention as soon as I step inside the ballroom halls. I can practically feel the stares on every part of my body. To my utmost displeasure, a blush colors my cheeks.

Okay. I can do this. Just stay calm and cool and charming. _In other words, me, be yourself_. Right, yeah, I can do this. Now, if only I can command my feet to move and do just that.

"Hi."

Surprised, I look up from glaring down at my uncooperative feet and come in contact with bright blue eyes. My brow furrows in confusion and I look from left to right before landing on now amused, swirling blues. It dawns on me that she is, in fact, talking to me. My blush intensifies as I smile at her nervously.

Without my consent, my eyes travel downwards and can't help but admire the undoubtedly beautiful figure hidden by the black bodice with off-the-shoulder dark green sleeves and light olive green skirt with matching socks. Her hair is styled into a neat bun with a comb-shaped barrette and three green satin ribbons attached to the back of her hair. A dark green cape with a light green bow holding it in place drapes over her form. A black, satin-laced necklace with a gold pendant of Arendelle's symbol and a sparkling, dark green mask that covers the upper half of her face completes her attire.

In layman's terms, she is absolutely breathtaking. Quite literally too, since it seems I'm struggling to breathe easily. Calm, cool and charming my ass.

"Uh…" is all I can say.

She giggles cutely from behind her palms and flutters her eyes. "I didn't see you here earlier. Have you just arrived?"

I gulp harshly, feeling a single drop if sweat slide down the side of my face, before I straighten up—after mentally berating myself—and bow my head in greeting. "Hello," I say politely before smiling gently. "And yes, I have just arrived…?" I trail off in a questioning manner, hoping she will catch on to what I was implying.

She grins then bows graciously in return. "Anna," is her simple reply.

My face cools off a bit and an easy grin makes its way on my lips upon seeing her carefree expression. "A pleasure, Milady," I state easily. For the third time tonight, I am captivated by her eyes and just sort of stare at her.

She tilts her head to the side, a mischievous twinkle flashing in those baby blues as she teasingly says, "And you are?"

And just like that, my blood rushes to my face and the blush returns. "Well, I—uh…" I clear my throat, hoping to all hope the slight high undertone of my voice will tone down a bit. "Sorry. I'm, uh… El…"

She looks downright amused. "Are you sure that's your name?"

The flames on my cheeks keep getting hotter after every word we exchange. Smiling nervously at her, I stutter out an affirmative. Her amused look turns a bit skeptical as she playfully asks, "From what house?"

Clearing my throat once again, I say with more confidence than before, "Of House Des Vaux."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks for checking this out! And for the reviews! And all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Frozen.**

As a Des Vaux, I have been taught to always be prim and proper; be confident and collected; be strong and ruthless; but also to be gentle and caring. All through my childhood, I have exhibited that kind of aura. But, it takes one gentle smile from a lady, a completely stunning one at that, for my confidence to crash down and to forget every lesson my tutors had been paid for to teach me.

_Good going, me_.

We have been staring at each other for the past seven minutes now. I toy with the hem of my white suit's collar nervously. Tell me again what's wrong with me?

"So, El of House Des Vaux, would you mind if I ask why you were late?" She asks as she bounces—_bounces!_—on the spot.

"Well, I, uh…" I am struggling, that's for sure, to respond since I'm kind of distracted as to how energetic the redhead is. I'm also trying to find the right words in order to not sound offensive. And as I stare at her wide, innocent eyes, I can't bring it in me to give her an inadequate answer. "To be honest, I wasn't planning on attending."

She gasps as she places her hand on her chest.

_Dramatic little one, aren't you?_ I chuckle under my breath as the thought crossed my mind. Apparently, the chuckle was a bit loud—judging by the mocking glare Anna is giving me. I hold my hand up in peace. "I come in peace."

A snort and then a giggle which then transforms into a laugh follow my declaration. Lo and behold! A blush forms on my cheeks. Well, hot damn!

"You're adorable." She blurts out; and I feel my eyes widen. I can tell she didn't mean to since she looks rather surprised by what she just said as well. "I mean, no! I mean, not that you're not adorable because you are. Wait, what? Did that even make any sense?"

I try my hardest not to look at her as if she were crazy but I don't think I'm doing a good job at it. "Uhm…" Seriously, I'm not this tongue tied.

She bites her lip. And I can feel myself staring. Not good.

"I'm sorry! I tend to blurt out anything that comes into mind. My parents always did say I should work on it and whatnot. I'm really sorry! If I could, I would take back what I said. Not that I don't think you're cute because you really are. And I'm totally repeating myself now, aren't I? You don't have to answer that—" she rambles on and I have no choice but to wait until she's done. Besides, it's a tiny bit endearing to see her this flustered… and nervous… and cute… and beautiful… Yeah, I should stop rambling to myself as well.

"—and this is getting really awkward. Not that you're awkward, it's just that we're, I'm awkward and you're absolutely beautiful…" a pause and I'm sure both of our faces are tinged with pink, "…wait, what?"

A beat passes; then, two before I feel my lips twitch into an amused smirk. She looks everywhere but me. Having none of that, I follow along with her to catch her gaze. "And you say I'm the adorable one," I tease and revel in the fact that her face is now as red as her hair. Once again, she cuts the contact of our eyes by staring at her feet; I frown.

"I-I, well… uh," she stumbles out as she fiddles with the hem of her sleeves a bit awkwardly.

I duck down to see her beautiful blues and smile at her warmly. She slowly looks up before grinning at me shyly as I let out a chuckle, extending my hand out to her. "Would you like to get some chocolate, Anna?"

Her eyes immediately snap up to meet mine, wide with surprise. I feel confused as to what I said to possibly elicit such a reaction. I run my previous words in my head before realizing that, yes; I just addressed her with her first name.

"I'm s-sorry. Is it a-alright if I call you by your first name?" I ask meekly, rubbing the back of my neck with my other hand. Seeing her somewhat shocked expression, I hurry to say, "Of course, it's fine if you don't want me—"

"No!"

Taken aback by the fierceness in her words and eyes, I clamp my mouth shut, almost taking a step back due to my surprise.

"I-I mean, I'm fine with it if you would grant me the same privileges?" Her eyes shines with such hopefulness that I couldn't possibly turn her down even in my moodiest of days. Upon seeing my nod, her eyes lit up even more. "And, yes, I would love to."

Confusion worms its way into my head. Again. "Huh?"

She smirks cutely. "That chocolate you were saying about, good sir?"

I blush and am about to start making a fool out of myself again before her words registered in my brain. Specifically, the title she used on me. My heart sinks. She thinks I'm a man? Is my voice really that deep? Honestly, I thought I sound completely feminine. Then again, I did imply that I am a man. What with my clothes and name.

My face must have showed my emotions since her smirk turns into a frown. She asks in concern as she reaches a hand to touch my face, "What's wrong?"

When her warm palms make contact with my equally warm cheeks, I blurt out a loud, "Nothing!" Wincing in time with Anna's cringe upon noticing the curious stares of people near us. Clearing my throat, I repeated in a calmer manner, "Nothing."

Anna doesn't look convinced but I am thankful when she accepts it. She retracts her hand from my face before grabbing my still outstretched hand and all but dragging me towards the table full of delicious-looking delicacies.

The people part for us but they look on curiously, no doubt intrigued as to who we are. I wonder why though.

"Anna?"

She hums in response, stopping as soon as she reaches the table then grabs two plates before giving me one. She starts by picking a piece of chocolate cake then one, two, three truffles. She then moves on to chocolate chip cookies. I can only gape at her. I know I said chocolate earlier but I didn't actually mean just food made of chocolate.

"People are staring," I say, feeling uncomfortable with all the attention. She stops her food gathering and stares at me.

"You don't get out a lot, huh?"

I'm sure it was meant to be a question but with the way she said it, it sounds like a statement. I can only nod.

She grins. "You'll get used to it."

_Used to it?_ Is she implying that we'll be gawked at a lot throughout the night? "I'm sorry, but what do you mean?" I question as I fill my own plate up with chocolate-flavored food. Hey, if Anna's doing it, then, it's only fair if I do so myself.

Her grin widens. "Nothing."

I glance at her direction. Upon seeing the smirk on her lips, I say dryly, "You're not very good at being mysterious."

She faces me and teasingly states, "Yet, you're in the dark of things."

I chuckle as once again, our eyes connect. Hers are smiling.

"Touché," I concede.

She winks at me before grabbing my unoccupied hand and pulling me towards the balcony.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey! So I'm really happy that someone added my story in a community. Big honor! :D Hope you like this chapter and thank you for the review and adds. Oh! And sorry for the mistakes!**

**I don't own Frozen.**

**~:~**

The night's chilly air breezes by as Anna and I sit on the railings of the balcony. Occasionally, I would stare up at the night sky and admire the beauty of it all.

"It seems you have a fascination for stars," Anna observes.

I chuckle lightly. Still staring at the night sky, I retort, "Well, who doesn't?"

I can hear the rustle of fabric; I'm guessing she just shrugged.

"Good point," she laments and this time, I face her. She seems to brighten at my attention. "Well, since you sort of admitted that you did, would you tell me all about them?"

I smile. "Well, what do you want to know?" I ask just as I decide to eat these little tasty-looking brown squares first. Upon taking the first bite, I was sure I died and have found heaven. A tiny, unexpected moan slips out of my lips.

"Hot damn, what are these things called?" I blissfully ask my companion; but upon hearing no response, I turn to her with all the intention of asking her if something's wrong.

The sight that greets me, however, is enough to get me confused and strangely hot. After a minute of Anna's smoldering gaze, I grow a bit uncomfortable. Squirming on my seat, I unconsciously straighten out an imaginary wrinkle before inquiring, "Is something the matter?"

She shakes her head, blushes but meets my eye as she stammers out, "N-nothing." She motions her head towards the gooey substance on my fingers. "I'm guessing you like the brownies?"

My brows furrow. "Brownies?" I repeated for clarification; she nods and giggles behind a hand.

"I'm also guessing you don't know what a brownie is."

Without meaning to, a pout forms on my lips. "No," I say sullenly.

Once again, she giggles.

I blush, internally berating myself for the hundredth time now. What is with this girl and my blushes?

"I don't blame you," she says and I focus back to what she's saying. "I've never tasted it before as well. Well… before meaning before yesterday, you know? Kai, oh! He's my personal caretaker, but he's more like an unrelated uncle or something."

I almost succeed on not smiling. Meaning, I am smiling at how adorable she is whenever she rambles.

"I'm getting off track again, am I not? Anyways, it's a funny story, actually. Apparently, they just started selling these. The bakery up in the mountain ships them here after the owner accidentally mixed some cocoa powder into a batter, slips then kicks it into a fireplace." She chuckles; I follow suit.

"That's certainly an entertaining way of making goods. Especially ones as yummy as this one." I smile at her. "Why do they call it a brownie though?"

She shrugs and offers, "Probably because of the color. Plus, they probably added the last two letters to make it sound fancy."

"Fascinating," I comment with a smile. "You never did answer my question though."

She hums; I face her, only to find out she's busy eating her own brownie.

"Anna?" A hint of my amusement is visible in my voice. She must have sensed it since she stops midway then grins sheepishly at me. My smile widens; she tilts her head. So she's dramatically playful and adorable… Aside from being beautiful, I wonder what kind of other traits and quirks she possesses.

She looks at me, her eyes wide and innocent yet filled with intrigue and curiosity. "Yes?"

"Your question?"

Her nose scrunches up as her brows crease. Her expression remains for a whole minute before she huffs and demands, "What are you talking about?"

I bite my lip to prevent my smile from appearing manic and overly broad. Shrugging, I tease, "Since you're too old to remember," I ignore her indignant yell, "I'll just have to wing it, don't I?"

She opens her mouth but I interrupt before we stray off topic again. I give her a small genuine smile before staring up at the night sky once more. "During my childhood, every night I would creep out of my room once I'm sure everyone in the house was fast asleep. It gets lonely in my room, you see. And for the life of me, I couldn't sleep even if my body was worn out from the different lessons I have had for the day."

She snickers quietly from beside me; I turn to her with a questioning glance. She grins as she coyly says, "Reminds me of someone I know."

Watching her twinkling eyes, I know of whom she is referring to. I chuckle along with her. "We were children; what more did you expect?"

She raises a challenging brow at me before glaring playfully. "Excuse you, but I am still a kid."

This time, a laugh bubbles out of me. "Ah, that explains it then."

"Hey!" she exclaims, hitting me on my shoulder. Once. Twice. Thrice. And it looks like she's not stopping anytime soon.

Ouch. So she's dramatically playful, adorable, and beautiful and has one heck of a punch. I raise my hands up in surrender. "Ow, hey, that hurt! Okay, I'm sorry!"

She stops, narrows her eyes at me then grins smugly. There's something about her haughty expression that's so endearing that my heart can't help but skip a beat.

Huffing at her smugness, I continue on. "Like I said, I often went out of my room to not only avoid boredom but also to have an adventure—"

I get cut off as Anna questions, "Adventure? In the middle of the night?"

I shrug. "Technically, it wasn't midnight yet, rather, late at night. There's a difference." She snorts; I chuckle. "Now where was I? Ah, yes, my adventure… well, it starts as soon as I walk along the palace halls and exit through the doors towards our garden."

I pause as I look over my shoulder and, with my eyes, scan our backdrop. A small smile forms on my lips before facing my company and hold eye contact. "The palace garden almost resembles our garden. The peace it brings and the beauty it shows."

For some unknown reason, she beams. "Isn't it? Mo—I mean, the palace sure knows how to take care of its place."

I arch a brow as I watch her squirm and hear her laugh nervously. "Right," I acquiesce with a slight frown, curious as to what she wanted to say but can't. That seems to have caught my attention. I stare at her as she looks everywhere but at me.

There is something about her that screams innocence with an air of authority; of clumsiness yet of innate grace. There is something about her—in her eyes, perhaps?—that, deep down, I should have knowledge or, maybe even, recognition of. She looks familiar yet foreign. I just can't put my finger on where I have seen her before.

"Is there something wrong, El?" Her meek voice breaks through my concentration, causing me to grin at her sheepishly.

"I'm sorry for staring. For a significant amount of time… That was quite rude of me to do so, Milady." I stand up and bow at her in apology, to which she promptly brushes aside by stating, "There's nothing to apologize for."

I peek at her through one eye and see her smiling at me softly. Standing to my full height, I nod and gesture for her to take a stroll with me. She happily agrees, tucks her plate safelyby her side then clings to me as soon as I offer her my left arm.

We walk in silence, just strolling under the moonlight as the music from inside flowed outside. We wander around the grounds as I appreciate the artistry and elegance of the scenery while Anna chews on her chocolate. I smile to myself at her adorableness before deciding to break the reticence between us by saying, "I always feel serene when I'm at our garden, especially under the stars."

I look to her, only to find her staring up at me. My heart skips another beat and my face flames.

"Just like what we're doing now?" she asks me innocently, an underlying emotion in her tone that I'm having a hard time to decipher.

"Uh, yeah, just like what we're doing now." I reply; she grins brightly before munching on her food once again. "So, uhm… Yeah, I guess that's the basics of it all." She looks at me questioningly; I smile as I expound, "My fascination for stars. They always look…" I pause as I try to think of a word to describe them back when I was a kid. I shrug as I say, "…sparkly."

Anna suddenly stops, and since our arms are linked, I stop along with her. I face her, a question at the tip of my tongue when I notice her amused expression. "Sparkly?"

I huff upon noticing she doesn't even try to hide her amusement. "I thought it was best to describe them through the mind of a kid. Besides," I gesture my hands up, "they are sparkly."

She laughs and agrees.

For some reason, I feel smug with her agreement and she takes notice of it.

"What are you so smug about?"

Grinning cheekily, I say, "You agreed."

She laughs a little louder. "Oh my god, you can't be serious!" She breathes out in between her giggles as she assesses my seriousness. She throws her head back in unabashed glee. "You are!"

I smile stupidly as I blatantly stare at the alluring person in front of me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the reviews! *grins happily***

**To the Guest (I hope you're one and the same): Your reviews were quite funny. Haha I'm glad you're enjoying the story.**

**Sorry for the mistakes by the way. And I don't own Frozen.**

**~;~**

Eventually, Anna's laughter dies down and she leads us towards the center of the yard. After she places her plate down on the fountain and hops onto the flat surface to take a seat, I follow suit. Amazingly, the music still reaches our ears.

We sit in another round of silence. From the corner of my eye, I see Anna reaching out for something. Once I feel warmth on my hand, I realize she was reaching out for me.

"El?" I face her; she smiles apologetically, the twinkle in her eyes betrays her purpose though. "I'm sorry… for laughing."

_Are you really?_ I smirk at my line of thoughts.

"Of course, Milady. Now that I think about it, I find it quite funny myself. I guess there's always a first for everything." Gently, I take hold of her hand and place a tender kiss on the back of it. "As a matter of fact, I must thank you for it. So, Milady, thank you." I wink at her; she blushes violently.

"Uh, right, well… uhm, yes, of course! It was an honor!" She curtsies, the blush on her cheeks still as vibrant as ever. "But, uh, what are you thanking me for… exactly?" she asks meekly after a few seconds.

I chuckle to myself since I've never seen someone go redder than a tomato before. "That's for me to know and for you to find out, Anna."

In a flash, her blush diminishes and her lips protrude into a pout. "Don't be like that, El!" she whines.

I grin. "But where's the fun in that?"

She huffs and jumps up from her seat. Her arms cross on her chest as she sticks her nose out. "Fine! Be that way."

I stare at her, quite flabbergasted, for a minute before my surprise turns to amusement. A snicker escapes me as it escalates into laughter. I stand in front of her; but she twists the other way. "Oh, come on, Anna; don't be that way."

She frowns mockingly as she turns around when I tried to make eye contact with her. She harrumphs; I sigh, shoulders slumping upon realizing that she might have been offended. Not a moment too soon, I perk up as a familiar tune echoes in the night.

I take a deep breath, feeling a bit nervous as to what I'm about to do. _It's okay. I can do this. Just to see those gorgeous eyes again. _A small intake of breath before I sang, "_Every breath you take,_" I see her stiffen slightly,"_—with every move you make. Every bond you break; every step you take, I'll be watching you._"

She visibly sags and tries to discreetly turn her head sideways. "Don't you think that would be a bit creepy?" she questions haughtily, her lips jutting out to the side.

I ignore her and lean into her back. I whisper out in a tune, "_Every single day; every word you say_—" I poke her side to get her attention. She bats my hands away but I can see the side of her lips twitching. "—_every game you play; every night you stay, I'll be watching you._"

"_Oh, can't you see? You belong to me_—" I twirl to be in front of her and see that she's smiling. Grinning like crazy, I poke her cheeks to get her to open up her eyes. She does; I wink at her before dramatically placing a hand over my chest, "—_oh how my poor heart aches! With every step you take…_"

Now, she's full blown beaming. She backs away from me playfully; I follow her movements. "_Every_ _move_ _you make; every vow you break_," she smirks sexily; I almost falter in both my singing and movement. "_Every_ _smile you fake; every claim you stake, I'll be watching you._"

"Should I be worried of a possible stalker?" She teases as she grasps my hand into hers. She pulls me into her body then starts to do the Cha-cha-cha.

"_Since_ _you've gone, I've been lost without a trace. I dream at night; I can only see your face…_" Biting my lip, I confidently—not really—invade her personal space. Her eyes search my face. I pretend to search for something just to escape her intense gaze. "_I look around but it's you I can't replace. I feel so cold and I long for your embrace_—" She embraces me and I had to swallow hard. I plop graciously down on one knee and sing, "—_I keep crying baby, baby, please!_"

She laughs before she pulls me to my feet and, once again, starts dancing. We twirl then sway then do random steps and go through it all over again, steps in synch with the upbeat music. But then, Anna loses her footing and we went crashing to the ground. Before we'd hit the ground though, I flipped us over.

I grunt in pain as my breath rushes out of me.

"Oh gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! God! Me and my clumsiness!" I stare at her in amusement as she rambles on, complete with wild hand gestures and still lying on top of me. "—and then I came crashing down into the arms of the armor. I mean, how crazy is that?! Sure, I shouldn't have ridden my bike down the stairs and—"

_That_ catches my attention. "Wait, you rode a bike down the stairs and got caught by an armor's arm?" My incredulousness is clear in my voice.

She nods resolutely. "Yes! Now, pay attention!" I stifle my laughter as she continues telling her tale animatedly. "And then Kai got me off of it but not before berating me about the correct way of behavi—"

I cut her off by asking, "Why were you riding a bike down the staircase anyway?"

She freezes in a mere second, her mouth open as she stops midsentence. She glares at me; I grin sheepishly as I raise my hands up to placate some of her possible irritation.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"El, what did I say about paying attention?"

My eyes flicker about and all I can do is stutter out a hopefully acceptable answer, "Uh, p-pay attention?"

Her gaze softens; I breathe out a sigh of relief. "Right!" she says cheerily. She is about to continue her tale before I interjected by saying, "Uhm, Anna?"

She looks at me curiously. "Yeah?"

I can just feel my face heating up again. "Could, would you, maybe, uhm… get off of me?"

Confusion etches its way onto her facial expression before she looks down; her face then mirrors mine. "Oh no, oh gosh! Sorry!" She moves to stand up but then her footing gets caught on her dress and she trips, sending her falling my way. Her arms make contact with my stomach.

"Oof!" Holy cow! That hurt!

She rights herself by leaning on her right arm as she scans my face for any sign of pain. She immediately looks worried and apologetic. "I am so sorry, El! I didn't mean to!" She quickly scrambles up, thankfully succeeding this time and offers her hand. "Here let me help you up."

Relieved, I accept her hand and get pulled up to my feet. Voice soft, I thank her, my hand intertwined with hers as our faces were close to each other. Her already crimson face colors some more as she responds, "No, it was my fault. I probably hurt you, huh?" She looks up at me, eyes teary and wide.

Knees suspiciously going weak, I offer a shaky smile. I brush her off by saying, "Nah, I barely felt you."

She bites her lip—I'm extremely thankful her hands are still holding mine—as she mumbles something that sounds like, "Maybe I should lessen my chocolate intake."

I chuckle lightly. She stares at me, her face clearly showing her thoughts: "_What's so funny?_"

Smiling, I grab her hand and place a kiss on the back of it as I whisper, "You don't have to cut off your chocolate intake, Milady. You're perfect just the way you are." Gah! That sounded way better in my head…

She grins adorably then steps out of our embrace. Fighting back to hold back a frown, I say in a joking manner, "Well, that was cheesy."

She giggles then circles her arms around my neck. I can feel my cheeks warming up. Again.

"A-Anna?"

She smiles as she caresses my cheeks. "Can I say something crazy?" her voice a mere whisper as she asked, all the while leaning closer.

Subconsciously, I lean in as well. "I love crazy," I breathe back, voice suddenly husky and soft. She bites her lip and only an inch separating us. Her fingers play with the hairs on the nape of my neck.

She bites her bottom lip; my heart beat skyrockets. Dear god, how can one person be so beautiful… and sexy… and adorable at the same time?

"El, I…"

"Your Highness?"

The voice comes out of nowhere that we literally jumped apart from each other. We simultaneously whip our attention towards the direction of the voice. A man comes into our sights.

"Kai!" Anna exclaims. So this is Kai? "W-what are you d-doing here?"

Kai bows. "The Queen has been looking for you."

"The Queen?" I face Anna whose face has gone slightly pale. Worry fills me and I immediately walk to her side. I touch her face gently, caressing it as I ask, "Are you alright, Anna?" She nods but I can feel something off about her. I turn back towards Kai and notice him regarding us curiously. "What does the Queen need her for? Is she in trouble? 'Cause I can assure you, Anna here has done nothing wrong. She was with me."

For some reason, Kai's eyebrows shoot up in surprise as he alternates his gaze between Anna and me. But then he regains his composure and addresses me, "I'm sorry if I have… ruined a moment between the two of you, kind Sir." Anna and I both blush at his implications. "But Princess Anna's mother has been looking for her for quite a while now."

Oh, so that explai—wait. My eyes widen in sudden realization. "D-did you just say princess?" Turning my startled gaze to my right, I see Anna with a sheepish grin. "Y-you're the p-princess of Arendelle?"

She sighs, bites her lip and nods nervously. If possible, my eyes widen some more. Quickly, I drop to my knees and bow my head. "I'm sorry for not recognizing you sooner, Your Highness. Please, forgive me."

"El, please," she pleads but I refuse to look up. Shame, nervousness and disappointment seep within me. How could I have not noticed? Those eyes were a dead giveaway!

Someone clears their throat. It was Kai. "Again, I must apologize for coming in between, but Princess Anna, your mother…"

"Yes. I'll be there," is her curt reply. "Leave us be for a few minutes?"

"Of course. Your highness, Sir." And with that, we're alone once more.

"El, please, stand." Even if I didn't want to, the desperation in her voice leads me to do as she wanted. I didn't dare make eye contact though. "El?" Her warm fingers touch my chin, lifting my head up to have eye contact.

My breath hitches as soon as I see her exquisite blues. "P-princess, I'm sorry… I—"

She hushes me by placing a lone finger on my lips. "Shh," she soothes, "it's alright. I didn't tell you who I really was because I liked it."

My confusion doubles. "You liked it? Did you like playing with me? Because I know that's just wrong."

"No! It's not like that!" She vehemently denies before taking off her mask. My breath rushes out of me upon seeing how beautiful she really is, without the mask hindering anything. Her smooth skin, inviting lips, sexy freckles, her cute nose, her slim eyebrows and those mesmerizing eyes rolled into one completely captivated me. She clutches my face in between her hands. Desperately, she whispers, "I-I just… you were so raw, so honest with me, El. Tell me, would you still act yourself around me if you knew I was the princess?"

Understanding and an underlying sense of guilt wash over me. Anna…err, the Princess must have seen the change of my body language since she relaxes. "Princess, I—"

"Anna."

"Wha—?"

She shakes her head and stubbornly says, "I don't care how others address me but you, El, I want you to call me by my name. That's our deal, remember?"

Without meaning to, a smile graces my lips. "Of course. I'm sorry."

She grins at me disarmingly and steps a bit closer, taking my face in between her hands once more. "I'm happy that we've come to an agreement. Now, you've seen my face," she traces the side of my cheek with a finger. Goosebumps erupt on my arms. Her grin turns mischievous and downright sensual. _Gulp_. "I think it's only fair if I see yours, isn't it correct, Sir El of House Des Vaux?"

And now I'm nervous for a whole new different reason. This is not good. Should I tell her the truth about me or not? If I do, would she still trust me? Would she still believe in me? Would she still want to be associated with me? Should I take the risk or be a coward?

Too many questions and I don't have any answers. But I think the most conspicuous one is: _Now, what do I do_?

"Your Highness?"

Subconsciously, I breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Huh," Anna whispers, her breath fanning my face, "it seems fate wants to keep the ball rolling. Hmm, fine by me." She smirks saucily. "I love a good mystery, anyway. I'll be right there, Kai."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"And, I'll see you soon, Romeo." She winks then struts away.

My mouth involuntarily hangs open. Who knew our princess has a sexy side? The glaring question now is: What have I gotten myself into?


	6. Chapter 6

**Don't own Frozen, sadly.**

**~;~**

Getting over the shock of having the princess for company through the night, I rush back inside and scan the room for Gerda. I spot her talking with a few delegates. It always amazes me how smart and collected she is. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought she were a noble and not a mere caretaker. Her companions don't even look to be suspicious of anything.

They are so engrossed in their topic that I had to loudly clear my throat to get their attention.

"Good evening." I bow. "May I please have a word with the lady alone?"

They exchange looks, shrug then nod their consent before scattering about towards other groups in the party. How predictable. As soon as I was sure they are all out of earshot, I turn my attention back to my caretaker and see that she's regarding me with an intense gaze.

It takes all of my control not to fidget under her gaze but I can't hide the stutter in my voice as I ask, "What?" _Curses_.

She grins. _Double curses_. "I haven't seen you in a long while, Elsa. Were you perhaps having a good time with a, oh I don't know… a certain redhead perhaps?"

_Oh, for the love of_... I can just feel the blood rushing out of my face. I look away from her knowing gaze. Okay, there's no need to worry. I just have to play it smooth to get out of this. _Don't stutter, don't stutter, don't you dare stutter_… "I-I don't know what you're t-talking about…" _Smooth, my ass_. At this point, any toddler wouldn't have been safe inside my head.

Her annoying grin widens. "Of course you don't, Miss."

"Hush!" I hiss at her; she raises a questioning brow at me. Before she even gets to inquire, I answer playfully as I gesture downwards, "I am quite offended that you think of me as a lady, Ma'am. Obviously, I'm a boy." _For tonight_, I add mentally.

She seems to understand what I'm getting at; the slight widening of her eyes and a barely there opening of her lips are a sheer indication of such. She winks—actually _winks!_—and curtsies. "My apologies, kind Sir. What with the mask and long hair, I overlooked and assumed things."

Mortified, I awkwardly smile as her amusement just seems to escalate. _Annoyingly smart wo_—

"Els—?" My glare stops her from saying my real name. She falters in surprise but regains her composure nonetheless. "I mean," she coughs, "To what do I owe the pleasure…?"

I smile, satisfied. "El of House Des Vaux, Ma'am." She mouths an amused "_El_?" and I simply chose to ignore her for the time being. "And I am here because I wish…" I make the mistake of looking over her shoulder and spot Anna whipping her head side to side. She looks to be searching for someone. "Uh… well, you see, I uh—" Gerda's brows scrunch up in obvious confusion then tries to look over her shoulder but I stop her just in time.

With my hand on Gerda's shoulder, I glance briefly at Anna and notice that a frown mars her beautiful face. Gerda looks extremely curious once I turn my attention back to her. "Gerda, listen to me, we need to go home. Now."

She raises her brow at me. "Why? I thought you were enjoying the party?" she reasons but it comes out more as a question.

"That was then and this is now. Please?" A slight pout forms on my lips as I see her skeptical look. I then note that Anna has spotted me in the crows and is now making her way towards us, the frown on her face dipping deeper. Well, that's weird.

Gerda leans in; the Princess looks like she wants to badly choke something. My trustee caretaker whispers, "Milady, what is going on?"

"I'll explain later, but please, we must go. Now." I childishly start tugging her. She looks bemused and slightly amused but I'll worry about my actions later. Right now, we have to get out of here before Anna finds me and Gerda starts asking questions with her eyes.

Relived that Gerda's complying, I weave our way around nobles and some of their flirtatious looks, keeping a neutral face along the way. Only a few meters left and we would out of here. "We're almost there, Gerda. Please, hurry it up a bit."

"I still don't get why you're in such a hurry. I thought you were having fun and I would have loved to still be…" she complains and rattles on. I tune her out.

"You'll get over it." I say teasingly then I offer a shrug. "I could just bring you with me the next time there's a party. You know that, right?"

"Still," she replies stubbornly and continues to grumble some more.

I snicker quietly, shaking my head slightly. Looking over my shoulder, I ask, "What is with you and discussions?"

She glares somewhat and uncharacteristically huffs. I almost laugh out loud, but that will just get us more attention. So instead, I chuckle heartily which turns into a choke when a rather annoyed—yet still pleasant to the ears—voice calls out.

"Sir El?"

Oh no. This will not end well for me. Having no choice but to stop, I sigh in resignation and halt in my steps, Gerda faltering behind me. I nervously turn around while she grunts indignantly and glares at me. I smile to placate her annoyance a bit. She huffs but focuses her gaze on the person who gave us chaise. Her eyes widen in shock as she stares at the princess dumbly. That's a first.

I bow. "Your Highness, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

"Please, rise." I do as told and see that Anna's brow rises in a silent question. As discreetly as possible, I shrug in answer. "And, uh," She looks around, assesses the surroundings and faces me once more. "How about let's go outside? For some privacy?"

I accept her offer and lead the way. Opening the door, I step aside and bow as the princess passes. Gerda follows suit but not before staring at me questioningly. Yep, this will not end well for me.

Silence engulfs us. I break it before it turns awkward. "Your Highness?" Said person's eyes narrow. A smirk pulls at my lips, my brows rise in a challenge.

She shakes her head in mock disapproval then nods in acknowledgement. "Yes. Fancy meeting you again," my lips twitch in amusement. She blushes cutely. "I mean, I know it's a bit late to say that and it's a little awkward… okay, maybe, a bit more awkward and uh—anyways, I was wondering where you're going to in such a rush?" Her posture straightens as her attention shifts to a still flabbergasted Gerda. "I don't believe we've met," she curtsies gracefully, "I am Anna."

Gerda's confused expression amplifies. I would have laughed if the situation isn't so stifling. She glances at me for guidance but I have none to offer. If I remember correctly, that was how Anna introduced herself to me as well. "Uhm, a pleasure, Your Highness."

I hum thoughtfully and have to begrudgingly admit that Gerda had offered a smooth greeting.

Anna smiles yet her eyes are void of crinkles. It was a smile that lacks her usual warmth. "Same here," she trails off; Gerda understands since she hastily introduces herself. "Ma'am Gerda."

"Please, Your Highness, I am of no importance. Gerda is fine."

Anna looks genuinely puzzled; I let out a chuckle. I glance at Gerda and see her nod faintly. I return my attention to Anna, only to see her looking at me with a meaningful expression. I grin at her; from my peripherals, I notice Gerda giving me a calculating look. I wonder why. "She is my caretaker. Has been for as long as I can remember."

Anna's eyes light up. "Oh, I see!" She states, voice surprisingly pleasant and chirpy now. "A pleasure, indeed!"

Gerda and I share a look; nonetheless, she smiles and curtsies. "Believe me, Milady, the pleasure's all mine." The strange glint in her eyes as she replies has me worried. "But, I regret we must cut our meeting short."

"What? Why?"

Right now, I'm positive Anna's the epitome of adorableness. Unable to hold back a grin, I answer her, "Home." She turns her attention to me; for some reason, I feel incredibly happy. "The answer to your earlier question. You asked us where we were off to in such a hurry, remember?"

She nods slowly, brows furrowed and a slight frown on her lips. After contemplating for a minute—and no, I was not counting. I was busy staring at her adorable face. Yeah, forget I said that—she bobs her head, frown more prominent than before. "Yes, I do."

I nod in return and bow. Stepping back, I say, "Well, then, have a good evening, Princess Anna." I smile charmingly at her before walking towards the gates, Gerda dutifully following behind me.

"Wait!"

My steps immediately halt before I twist in place to face her, quirking a brow in question. Her cheeks tinge pink but she power walks towards me, grabs my face and brings it closer, much closer, to hers. In the dead silence of the night and with lips a hair's breadth away from mine, she whispers, "When will I see you again?"

My blood rushes north, making me a bit faint. My jaw drops marginally as I hold her hopeful stare. The atmosphere then turns sultry as I feel the spark of a connection. My body heat skyrockets with our proximity as her earlier gaze full of hope becomes sizzling. Their beauty, accompanied by the swirl of powerful and unknown emotions, is making me lose my breath all over again.

A cough echoes in the night, effectively cutting the trance I found myself in with the princess. I look back to find the source of the noise, only to find Gerda standing by the open door of our carriage. Wait, when did she get there?

"Pardon me but I think it's time to say your goodbyes," she states, her gaze flitting from my form to Anna's then back.

Immediately, I step away from Anna's hold and tempting body heat, in hopes I can gather my wits of my sudden discovery. Again, I bow and state, "That is for me to know and for you to find out, Your Highness." I silently cheer and mentally pat myself in the back for speaking clearly.

I then walk towards our carriage, glance at a smirking Gerda and offer one last nod of the head towards the gazing princess before hopping into the vehicle. After Gerda gets comfortable, the coach starts moving with my house as the destination. I promptly ignore Gerda since I was lost in my thoughts.

… _Anna_… _Anna_… _Anna_…

I sigh inaudibly.

Dear god, what am I going to do now?

**~;~**

**A/N: Terribly sorry for posting so late… can't simply try to ignore life even if I wanted to. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up soon and that I won't have difficulty writing it. Thank you for the reviews and alerts! Means a bunch!**

**To the guest, yes, I hope Elsa reveals herself to Anna soon as well. Hahah :D**

** : Well, seems I can't give you a private message... But, that's a pretty nice scene you've thought. Mhmm :D**

**Oh, and I'm sorry for the mistakes.**


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